Can government pay salaries of Black Stars coaches without E-Levy?

"Ghanaians must make a choice: if we don’t like free education, we must cease hiring our children, we must not increase wages and salaries, and Kusi-Boafo must force workers to resign, I’ll do so, and no one will have to pay the E-levy. There will be no road for you, no schools will be built, and no tier-two workers will be paid".

“When the E-levy is implemented, the road sector will get its fair share. All contractors owed by the government will be paid. A number of deplorable roads will be fixed when the E-Levy is introduced because all contractors we owe will be paid. You are going to benefit directly from its implementation. No serious government will joke with its contractors.”

These are but just two of countless statements made by appointees of the Akufo-Addo government in their attempt to convince Ghanaians to welcome the unpopular Electronic Transaction Levy.

The statements from the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Sector Reforms and Roads Minister respectively were emphasizing the importance of the Electronic Transaction Levy to the operation of government.

Per their narrative and that of other government and New Patriotic Party officials, the E-levy will oil the wheels of governance and that the absence of same will lead to governance being grounded to a halt.

Among the numerous responsibilities of government is the payment of salaries of national team coaches, more specifically Black Stars coaches and as evidenced in the President’s effort to raise $25million for the team’s participation in the 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup, the Black Stars are among government’s topmost priorities.

A botched AFCON campaign has seen the government reaching a compromise to create an unusual technical team structure for the Black Stars. At the summit of this structure is a Technical Advisor in the person of Chris Hughton. Otto Addo is next on the ladder as Black Stars coach with George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani completing the list as assistant coaches.

Details of their contract relative to financial packages are yet to be agreed on but as the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association said on Angel FM, the government as the custodian of the national teams will pay the salaries.

In Chris Hughton, Otto Addo, George Boateng and Didi Dramani, Ghana has four coaches of international repute who would command a substantial amount of money to offer their service to the country.

Whiles their salaries have not been made public, Chris Hughton, it has been rumored will be commanding a fee in the region of $100,000 monthly.

Otto Addo may be working on a part-time contract but for someone on the books of Dortmund, it will take quite an amount to have him agree to coach Ghana against Nigeria. Same can be said of George Boateng and Mas-Ud Didi Dramani.

Put together, Ghana could be coughing up $200,000 to pay the four coaches for their service and that is being conservative about the figure.

But with the state coffers almost empty (per government narrative) and the government’s flagship program Free SHS threatened by the potential rejection of the E-Levy by Parliament, should the management of the national team be worried that the state will not be able to pay salaries of the coaches?

This worry is furthered by the fact that even when there were no reports of the government running dry on funds, the government through the Sports Ministry could not keep faith with its obligations to former Black Stars coaches.

To date, the government still owe former Black Stars coaches CK Akonnor and Milovan Rajevac which begs the question, CAN GOVERNMENT PAY SALARIES OF BLACK STARS COACHES WITHOUT E-LEVY?